First Experimental Full-Scale Elevated FRSCC Slab in South America

A full-scale steel fibre reinforced self-compacting concrete elevated slab was built and tested up to failure. The experimental slab (without any conventional reinforcement), consisted of four continuous panels of 3.1 × 3.1 m² each, supported by columns two meters above ground. The nominal thickness was 130 mm. 90 kg/m³ of steel fibres were used. For the slab testing, two opposite panels were punctually loaded. Simultaneously, displacements were recorded and crack pattern registered. Results show a fan type cracking pattern, corresponding to what is reported by literature. The maximum loads obtained were F_max,1 = 156.4 kN and F_max,2 = 211.8 kN, (δ_central ≈ 20 mm), and the ultimate loads F_U,1 = 117.3 kN and F_U,2 = 187.9 kN (δ_central ≈ 60 mm), i.e. for displacements approximately three times larger than the one registered at peak load, the slab could carry more than 75% of the peak load, showing good overall ductility. A simple software, capable of modelling yield line theory, and suitable for routine applications, was used to model the slab. The software input is the slab geometry, boundary conditions, and plastic moments. The results showed that using reasonable simplifications, a good agreement between theoretical models and experimental results can be obtained if characteristic material properties are used in the model.